


Seilach's Meltdown

by FeathersForPeacock



Category: Original Work
Genre: Based on a Vocaloid Song, GEE I WONDER WHICH, Gen, Inspired by Music, Minor Violence, found family is the only trope, im a privileged white child and have no goddamn clue how gangs work so have mercy on me, mention of blood as well oops, updated when the capricious gods let me have my braincell back
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21982009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeathersForPeacock/pseuds/FeathersForPeacock
Summary: Daniel Patterson: literally just some guy. Office job, small apartment, cat that tries to suffocate him. But this story's not really about him. (Or the cat, although that may also make for an interesting tale.) It's about her.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	1. Twotone

**Author's Note:**

> google drive has decided to be nice to me for once so i ran in and bolted out the door with this before it decided to give me error messages again

Twotone follows me everywhere. She's impossible to shake. I don't particularly mind, she's never a bother. But Twotone follows me nonetheless.

I call her Twotone because of her dress. It's black on one side, white on the other. Blonde pigtails, so pale they're practically white. Pale skin, only about four feet tall. Everywhere I go, she follows, no expression on her face.

No, I don't know who she is. No, she isn't my daughter. No, I don't know her. I don't know what she wants. You try asking her sometime. She'll just stare you down. But Twotone follows me nonetheless. She doesn't care.

Sometimes I wondered if she's scouting me out for a role. Or if someone hired her to tail me. Or maybe she just thinks I'm her dad. I couldn't tell you. But no matter where I go, Twotone follows.

She's not a bad girl. If I ask, she'll watch my stuff for me. She doesn't talk, but she seems like a nice kid. I never dare to ask her to stop following me. Who knows, maybe it's the only joy she finds in her life.

She meets me each day on my way to work, in the same place every time. We walk together, only about 2 feet apart. She leaves when I arrive at work. At 12 o’clock sharp, she comes again. She follows me to the restaurant I go to for lunch, and follows me back. She leaves once again, rejoining me on my way home. She bows each time we part, quick but respectful, a 45 degree angle. We do not speak.

I went to work. I went out for lunch to the usual place. I went home. No Twotone. I wondered what happened. She's never missed a day.

The next day passed. And the next. And the next. Nothing. Not so much as a sick note. I was worried.

Weeks passed. No Twotone. A month passed in her absence. I felt almost empty inside. She was always there. Where did she go? Did she find someone else to follow?

Two months passed since her disappearance. And one day she just showed up. Twotone came back. I asked no explanation for the extended absence, and she offered none. For the first time, we exchanged words.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Thank you."


	2. Twotone Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear the chapter titles get better

Twotone follows me everywhere. Since that time, we haven’t spoken again. But neither of us are dissatisfied with this. Our relationship was built on this. This silent trust.

Twotone saw some other children playing today on our way home. She watched them intently, but kept walking. The same children were playing the next day, and she watched again, stopping this time. Maybe she wanted to play with them. Regardless, she kept following me.

A few coworkers asked me about her. 

“That’s Twotone. She follows me every day.”

“Why? Who is she? Do you know her? Is she your daughter?”

All questions I’d answered a hundred times.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. No. And no.”

Eventually, my friends would answer for me. “The little girl? Oh, Twotone. She follows him. No, we don’t know why.” Twotone was never bothered by the strange stares people gave her or the questions they would ask. She would simply stare through them. A few people would say hello to her when they saw her, and she would nod or bow in response. That was the most they’d get out of her, and they respected her boundaries. I appreciated that.

Twotone is observant. She likes to look around as we walk. Sometimes she picks up leaves, sticks, or smooth rocks off the ground. She pockets them. I guess she keeps a collection. She likes to people-watch, especially on days where I work out of town. Surprisingly, she pays her own fare. I guess that’s how she gets back, too. She stands on the 6 AM bus, observing all the people. The lady talking on her phone, the kid with his nose in a video game next to her, a man reading a book, a college-aged person knitting a sweater, a girl of about 5 bugging her mom. Other days, we take a train. She sits next to me. The train is considerably less crowded, so she typically takes the rocks, sticks, and leaves out of her pockets, lays them out on her lap, and observes each one closely. She also likes to look out the window, kneeling on the seat and watching all the trees fly by. The train takes longer, so I figured she must get bored, so I brought a book with me one day. She seemed to like it. Since then, I always bring a book for her on the train.

I do still worry about her. I don’t know where she lives or where she gets the money to pay bus fare. I sometimes wonder if she’s doing alright. She hasn’t missed a single day since the two-month absence, but I do still worry.

My worry got the best of me one day. I called into work and told them I’d be running late and left a note on my doorstep explaining that I wouldn’t be going to work today. I saw Twotone pick it up, read it, and grab a pen out of her pocket to scribble something on the back. She left it where she found it and went on her way. I waited until I knew she wouldn’t see me and snatched up the note. It read ‘Thank you for letting me know.’. How polite.

After making absolutely sure she didn’t know, I followed her around the corner. I contemplated the irony of the situation. She was always the one following me, but now she had taken the lead and she didn’t even know it. I followed her to an alley, where I saw her stop.

“I know you’re there.”

I thought I’d been caught. But she wasn’t talking to me. A tall, very shady-looking man emerged from one of the paths connecting the alleys.

“Then pay up.”

“I can’t.”

The man looked irritated by this answer.

“Nobody who don’t pay their debts to me lives to tell the tale, Alleycat. You better scrape it up soon or it’s-” (He drew his finger across his neck and made a “hhhhhrip” sound with his mouth.) “for you.”

“I’m well aware.”

Acknowledging that he wouldn’t be getting his money today, he left, giving Twotone an evil smile as he disappeared into the darkness.

“Hmph.”

She expertly navigated through the alleyways as if they were the hallways of her own house. I had a hard time keeping up with her pace while not making too much noise. We passed restaurants, shops, underground dealings I’d probably be shot for witnessing, and entire rat societies with clear monarchs and servants. Who knew alleys were so active?

Eventually, we came upon a small alleyway, hidden deep in mazes upon mazes of brick walls. On the ground was a small blanket and a beat-up pillow that looked like it’d been through some serious fights. Or maybe some clothes moths found it. Twotone put her teddy bear down on the blanket and sat next to it. Then she picked up a small jar. It was full of twigs and rocks. She pulled a few more out of her pocket and dropped them in. Next was a very beat up dictionary, which she opened to the middle. She put a few leaves and flowers inside, taping them down and pressing them between the pages. Once she finished putting away her finds, she picked up another book. I recognized it as one that I had given to her. She was using an oak leaf as a bookmark, and was about halfway through. Then suddenly she froze.

“Watch out!”

Twotone leaped towards me, catching a soldier’s knife between her fingers, an inch from right between her eyes. Another man came from one of the many pathways, with an awful sort of smug smile on his face.

“I told you to pay up, Alleycat. You didn’t keep your contract.”

“He has nothing to do with this. Why did you attack him?”

“He was watching you, didn’t you see him?”

She nodded. So she did know I was there this whole time.

“Your payment is far, far overdue. If you want us to leave you alive, you better pay up.”

Twotone took the knife and threw it aside.

“You want a fair fight, huh Alleycat? Too bad. Gangmen don’t play fair.”

The man drew his gun and fired.

“TWOTONE!”

  
  
  
  
  


But she wasn’t at all fazed. She simply caught the bullet in her hand. A trickle of red streamed down her sleeve, but her face remained stoic and empty.

The man, clearly frustrated, fired 5 more shots. She caught each one effortlessly.

“You… you damn freak… Fine. We’ll let you stay. You have  _ one month  _ to pay or pack your garbage and leave. If you don’t, I’ll bring the whole gang. And you’ve seen what happens to the people who don’t cooperate.”

Twotone nodded, threw the now useless bullets in the trash, and glared at the man until he skulked away, tail between his legs.

Twotone turned to me. “Why did you follow me?”

“I… I was curious. And worried. I wanted to see where you went when I wasn’t around.”

“... Don’t worry about me, sir.”

“But- you were in trouble with all those shady guys. Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine, sir. Please.”

After that, she was silent.

“I- I’ll be going to work now.”

“I’ll see you later, then.”


	3. Twotone One More Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SWEAR THE CHAPTER TITLES GET BETTER

Twotone follows me everywhere. She told me not to worry about her and her… living situation. But I can’t help it. Sometimes, when I have nothing else to occupy my thoughts, my mind drifts back to what I saw. She was living on the street with seemingly nothing but found objects to her name. Did she have parents? Any family? Was she an orphan? How did she come to live in that alley? Did she not have a home? Was it taken from her? She is mysterious… but I try not to let my worries and musings cloud my judgement. She’s still the same Twotone I know.

It’s strange. Even after that incident, she still followed, acting as if it had never happened. Almost. When we arrived, she turned back before leaving and said “Please, don’t follow me again. You could get hurt.” Fair enough. I’d had more than enough of almost dying. I nodded. A silent promise. She bid me farewell with a small wave. Knowing I would be taking the train tomorrow, I perused the books I had gotten for her, trying to decide which one she’d like best. 

The following day. Twotone had her nose buried in her book, and I was watching out the window as we sped past the trees. Not having anything else to do, I reached for my phone in my pocket and bumped her arm. I swear I heard her gasp in pain… but maybe it was just my imagination.

“You alright?”

She nodded, not looking up. Yeah, just my imagination. She’ll be okay.

The next day. We had to ride the train again. She seemed kinda tired, but I didn’t think much of it. I worry too much. She’ll be fine.

The day after that, it kinda looked like she was limping. She fell asleep on the train and leaned on me for a while. I didn’t mind, but when I glanced over at her, I saw a bruise on her neck. I was starting to get really concerned…

Twotone’s condition was getting worse each day, until she came to my doorstep with blood coming out of her mouth and a black eye. I had asked her several times if she was alright, and she always said she was fine, but I wasn’t buying it anymore. Thankfully, my hectic week of meetings with international officials was over. And I was having none of this. I kneeled down and picked her up. She looked as if she was going to argue, but decided it was futile and stayed silent. When I picked her up, she relaxed, sighing. I held her over my shoulder and carried her all the way.

“Don’t worry,” I whispered to her. “You’ll be alright.”

I really didn’t know what to do. I don’t have any kids. What are you supposed to do when they get hurt? I thought maybe I’d take her to a hospital, but she wasn’t in critical condition… yet. So I submitted. I called my sister.

“Danny? What’s up?”

“Amelia, I swear to God. If you give me even a modicum of sass about this…”

  
  


A pediatrician. I hadn’t been to a pediatrician’s office since I was 14. I had forgotten how cute it was in there. Stickers on the walls, puzzle piece carpet, and colorful paintings hung up everywhere. As soon as I walked in with Twotone, the receptionist gasped. He looked horrified, and I didn’t blame him. She looked pretty bad. Somehow keeping a bit of composure about him, he asked “Do you… have an appointment?”

When I was filling out papers, I realized.

“Twotone.”

“Hm?”

“What’s your name?”

“... Seilach.”

Seilach.

“That’s a pretty name.”

“I don’t feel very attached to it.”

“Wait, is it your first name or your last name?”

“I don’t… know my last name.”

I wrote down my own last name on the line.

  
  


The triage nurse took us back into a room and did the usual. Height, weight, blood pressure, et cetera. When she brought Twotone back, she looked back and forth between us before asking “What the heck happened to her?” I turned to Twotone for this one, but she just looked away. 

“Poor dear… I’m going to patch you up, okay? This might sting a little…”

“It stings a lot, but okay.”

  
  
  


“Twotone?”

“Yeah?”

“Are… are you going to be okay? Tell the truth this time.”

She looked down at her feet. “... Yes. I’ll be fine. I’ll sort this out.”

“Twotone. No.”

“Do you think I can’t do this?”

“Go get your stuff from the alley. You’re staying with me tonight.”

“NO!”

I tensed up. Twotone might give death glares, but she never raises her voice.

“I’m not going to let you get hurt because of me.”

“Twotone…”

“Let me handle this. I’m going to be fine. … Trust me.”

  
  


I did trust her. Then, why was I doing this? I didn’t know. It just felt right. Remembering the curves of the alley, I hid, making sure to watch my back. I saw Twotone sitting on her blanket, staring at the wall opposite her. She held her knees close to her chest, teddy bear sitting next to her. Her face was red. Had she been crying? Or was it just the cold?

A voice barked from behind me. “S’cuse me.” Almost automatically, I moved out of the way. The man that passed me was roughened, with a deep voice and visible scars on his arms. He walked over to Twotone, and I barely suppressed an urge to scream. But he didn’t look hostile. Yet.

“Don’t suppose you have it.”

“No, I don’t.”

He looked away from her, the moonlight showing that his expression was more concerned than angry. “I don’t know how comfortable I am hurting a little kid.”

“It’s okay. I know you’re just doing your job.”

“They told me that if you didn’t pay up… I should kill you. But...”

“... Then do it. Or they’ll give you the same treatment.”

The man pulled a pistol out of his pocket and took aim. “You sure about this, kid?”

“Yes.”

He shut his eyes tight and took the shot.

  
  
  
  
  
  


But just as I expected, Twotone caught the shot effortlessly.

“H-huh? What… what happened? Did it get jammed?”

She held the crunched-up bullet between her fingers and showed it to him.

“You… caught it?!”

“Yes.”

The man was silent.

“Run along.”

And that’s what he did. He passed me and ran until I couldn’t even see him. For a gang member, he wasn’t very tough.

Twotone flicked the bullet away as if it were just a piece of gum and looked down at the ground. Then she glanced over at one of the tunnels. A young-looking man emerged, followed closely by someone I recognized. One of the same gangmen that had threatened her the first time I followed her. In an instant, the small alleyway was full of roughneck sorts of people, supposedly all from the same group. I guess this was him making good on the threat that he’d bring everyone. The leader made his way to the front of the crowd and said one word.

“Money.”

Still seeming wholly unfazed, Twotone shook her head.

“Sic ‘er.”

Twotone stood up.

The most musclebound of the crowd stood at the front, and jumped on her at the boss’s signal. She threw them off, but not before one of them managed to stick a soldier’s knife in her shoulder. Even as the blood ran down her arm, she didn’t seem bothered. She just yanked it out and wiped it off on one of the unconscious gangmen’s shirts. Wave after wave jumped her, but she defeated each one. She tried very hard to look as if this was nothing, but they were gradually wearing her down. I could see it. But I knew if I tried to do anything, they’d kill me without a second thought. She was far more qualified to handle this than I was, but I was still scared for her. Was there nothing I could do to help her? Eventually, she felled every last one of them. By the end of it, she was out of breath and bleeding severely. The leader took a few shots at her, but she managed to dodge each one of them. She grabbed the gun and threw it down on the ground as hard as she could. It shattered into small pieces like ice, making the alley smell even more like gunpowder. Twotone looked about ready to faint, with her knees about to give out from under her. But the leader couldn’t do anything either. With all his muscle defeated, he stood little chance in a straight-on fight. But poor Twotone was about to collapse. He was simply waiting for his opportunity to make sure she never got back up.

I don’t know what compelled me. Anger? Desperation? Fear? But I stepped forward.

“If you want her, you’ll have to get through me.”

“... Who the hell are you?”

Well, I’m an office worker. I’m useless in a fight, I’ve got crummy stamina, and I’m skinny as a twig. But most importantly…

“I’m her guardian.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“This…  **thing** has a dad?!”

I tried to concentrate all I could into my fist, like I’d seen on TV. I put my entire weight into that punch. Granted, that’s not much. But it was enough to knock him off his feet and unconscious. Seeing that the battle was over, Twotone let her knees give out and collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was having her name in the title technically a spoiler? maybe. do i care? no


	4. Twotone Under The Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's an improvement

Man. Am I glad I saved all my vacation days.

I had to explain the situation to the nurse. She had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yeah, that was it. I didn’t know if she could be arrested for dealing with those gangs or what. I would let her decide how much she wanted to tell them. The nurse said that she would recover. But she wasn’t waking up.

I stayed with her. I tried, with my limited knowledge gained from a 20 minute YouTube video, to sew up the holes in her dress. It wasn’t pretty, but it was something. I kept an eye on her stuff for her. When I had to leave so the doctors could do their thing, I stood around the entrance and picked up rocks and leaves for her. I didn’t have the same eye for those things that she did, but I did my best.

Three days. It took Twotone three days to wake up.

“Too bright. … A hospital?”

“Well, I couldn’t just leave you there.”

“... Right. I remember. You brought me here?”

“You seem pretty calm, considering the circumstances.”

She looked around. Right, at the IV in her arm. Down, at the turquoise hospital gown. Left, at the window with a view clear across the street from the third floor.

“Your dress is there.” I told her, pointing over to where it hung. “I tried to patch up the holes, but it’s… not that good. And the stuff you had in the alley is there.”

She looked surprised that I was so on top of everything. I guess I’m not usually like this.

“I was on edge, okay? I had to do  _ something _ .”

She cracked a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Anything I can get you?”

“Yeah, a grip on the situation.”

Weird, she isn’t usually this jokey. Guess blood loss does things to people.

  
  


“Seilach. Seilach?”

The nurse was calling her, but she didn’t look up from her book.

“Twotone.”

“Huh? Oh.”

  
  


“Um, why doesn’t she respond to me?”

“It’s more that she doesn’t respond to that name.”

“It… it is her name, right?

“Yeah.”

“Then…”

“I don’t know why. Try asking her.”

“O… kay?”

“Twotone.”

“What’s up?”

“Um, why don’t you respond to your name, sweetie?”

“Oh. Nobody’s called me that in a long time is all.”

I mean, it didn’t look like she was lying. But you never could tell. When the nurse left, I asked her.

“Is that really why?”

“Yeah. What reason would I have to lie about it?”

“I guess you’re right.”

“You’re a little paranoid.”

“Yeah, thanks. I know. … So what  _ did _ people call you?”

“Hmm... Alleycat. Little girl. Blondie. Pigtails. A liability. And Twotone.” She smiled again.

“Did people really call you a liability?”

“Yeah.”

Somehow, I knew that signaled the end of that line of conversation.

“I don’t really feel connected to my name anymore. That’s all.”

I glanced out the door to make sure nobody was around.

“So what was your deal with those guys?”

“... Oh well. Can’t hurt to tell you now.”

She took a deep breath.

“After I’d been living there for a week or so, the leader; you know, the scrawny one you punched into oblivion, that one. He told me I was on his turf. If I wanted to stay, I had to pay ‘rent’. I asked him why the rats didn’t have to pay rent. He punched me.” I saw a slight hint of a smile on her face when she said that. “So I paid him. And I had been for a while. … But then I found you. I stopped paying him so I could afford fare and, y’know,  _ food _ . He didn’t like that. He tried threats, he tried guns. He tried threats with guns. I… I didn’t want you to get involved, ‘cause if they knew I had someone I cared about, they’d hold you hostage. They aren’t above that. And you know the rest.”

“Why didn’t you just move? Was there something special about that spot?”

“It was a nice spot.”

“... Yeah, no, that’s not your only reason.”

“You know what’s around there?”

“A pharmacy, I think? A bakery, and a water treatment plant. Right?”

“And you. Only a block away. If anything got out of hand, I was planning to hide out with you. You don’t look like you’d ever be involved with a gang. No offense.”   
  


“None taken. … Is that why you follow me?”

“No.”

“That time you disappeared… was that related to the whole rent thing?”

“... By that point, I was attached to you. I didn’t want you to get hurt. So I hid somewhere else.”

“Ohh. That’s why you didn’t tell me why you were gone.”

“Pretty much.”

“Wait, having an army of, like, 150 on you ISN’T considered ‘things getting out of hand?!”

“I didn’t want to endanger you, and they had found my other spot. You can’t exactly call the cops on a gang you have a deal with. Besides they’d just- N-nevermind. Point is, I didn’t have a choice.”

So she wasn’t ready to spill  _ everything. _ That’s fair. I wasn’t going to force her. I didn’t know why she was homeless in the first place. How she got reflexes that allowed her to catch bullets effortlessly. And why she was fixated on me in particular. But that was okay. She was still just Twotone. The same girl I knew. She was still as mysterious as ever, but at least she was safe.

I couldn’t stay at the hospital forever, as much as I wanted to. I did have to go back to work. It felt weird not having Twotone following me. It reminded me of that absence. But that made me feel sick. What if something happens to her while I’m gone? 

“Then the hospital staff will take care of her. That’s their job.” I said to myself. But I still worried.

I managed to catch a bus that stopped near the hospital on my way back. Twotone was still there when I opened the door to her room. As usual, she was absorbed in her book. Without looking up, she said “You’re early.”

“Yep. Caught a bus. How’re you doing?”

“The nurse lady gave me something that made me feel kinda numb. But otherwise, fine.”

“Are you… worried that you-know-who will find you here?”

“If he does, I’ll be ready for him.”

“Twotone… you don’t have to handle this by yourself anymore, you know.”

She stayed quiet.

“Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine.”

“If you say so.”


	5. Winterdust

I felt a weight on my chest when I woke up. A warm, soft, purring weight.

“Come  _ on _ , Lucy. I bought you a bed!”

Lucy, sensing her time to use my ribcage as a pillow was over, leaped off and slunk away, bushy tail swaying back and forth. A little annoyed, I dusted the cat hair off of my shirt and pushed my hair out of my eyes. But I can’t stay mad at her. She probably thinks the bed is for the mice. Glancing out the window, I saw that the tops of buildings were dusted with light snow. The snowflakes caught a bit of light from the sun as they descended, shimmering brightly. Sights like these almost made trudging through winter worth it. Almost.

I opened the door to the guest room and saw Twotone sitting on the floor, looking closely at the ridges on her key.

“You like the key?”

“Yeah. It looks neat.”

“So. How’re you holding up in here?”

She had spread her collection out on the desk. It doesn’t look like much when it’s in the jar, but now that you could see the individual rocks and leaves, it was actually quite beautiful. She saw that one had caught my eye in particular.

“Like this one? It’s shaped like Mississippi.”

“It… sure is. How did that even naturally form?”

“Dunno. But I thought it was neat.”

“It is pretty cool.”

“If you want, you can have it.”

“No no, you keep it. You found it.”

“Huh. If you’re sure.”

She probably didn’t think about it, but I saw it. When she was describing her rock, she smiled. It was small, but I took it as an indication that she was starting to open up to me more.

Twotone put her key string around her neck and turned to face the little desk mirror, wrapping her hair up in pigtails. When she was done, she looked over at me. The look said “I’m ready, but you certainly aren’t.” Taking the hint, I went to go find some clean clothes.

“Isn’t it boring to just sit at home all day?”

“Not really. It’s more interesting than the alley.”

“What do you do when I’m gone, anyway?”

“Read books. Sit with Lucy. Watch the birds outside. Sometimes I turn on the TV so it’s not so silent.”

“For background noise. Yeah, I do that too. But don’t you get bored? Wouldn’t you rather hang out with other kids?”

“I don’t really know anyone my age.”

“Guess that’s true. … What if you went to school?”

She gave me another look, this one saying something between “A what now?” and “Not in a million years.” Guess that’s a no then.

I noticed something while we were walking. Small, but significant. When she followed me, she would always stay back. Maybe about two feet behind me, I would lead and she would follow. But now we were walking together. Side by side. Small. But significant. Important. Comforting. Just like her.

I traced the rim of my coffee cup with my finger. Twotone glanced over her hot chocolate at me with an inquisitive look in her eyes. She put down the mug and stared at the condensation on the windows. She drew a little Christmas tree on the window with her finger and smiled.

“Very festive.”

We both looked at it for a moment, silent. I added a present underneath it, with a bow on top.

“What’s in there?”

“Whatever you want.”

She mimed shaking the box next to her ear and opening it eagerly. She pulled out an invisible bottle and put on an overly cheery voice.

“Wow! It’s the chemical formula for the cure to lung cancer!”

“That’s… specific.”

“You said it could be whatever I wanted.

“You want to cure lung cancer?”

“I mean, it would be cool if I could. But it was just the first thing I thought up.”

“Does… someone you know have lung cancer?”

“I’ve known people who smoke, but I don’t think any of them have cancer. Yet.”

“Ah. Cause I figured, y’know...”

“Yeah, I getcha. Nobody I know died of lung cancer. … I think.”

“My dad got lung cancer.”

“Oh.” She held up the imaginary bottle. “Maybe this would’ve been useful.”

“Nahh. He deserved it.”

“Oh  _ shoot. _ That’s… pretty intense, coming from you.”

“Is it?”

“You’re a pretty mellow guy... Uh- wow, I can’t believe this- I don’t even know your name.”

That was a weird thought. We were close. Not really in a conventional way, but come on. When you’ve slugged a gang leader for the other person, you’re tight. She was almost like a daugh- no, that’s dumb. I wanted to say it. I wanted to say ‘After all we’ve been through, it’s pretty surreal how little we really know about each other.’ But that would be kinda weird. And pretty suspicious-sounding. So I didn’t.

“That’s… true. I’m Daniel. ...Nice to meet you?”

We both had a good laugh over that.

“Wonder what else I don’t know about you.”

“Well, I’m 28. I have a sister. My favorite color is probably green, and I’ve got a BA in English.”

“Interesting.” She smirked. “I thought you were at least 40.”

“Oh, come on. I don’t look  _ that _ old. Do… do I?”

“Nah, nah. I kid. You look pretty young.”

“Is there… anything I should know about you?”

“Hmm. Well, you already know my name is Seilach. I’m 7, don’t have any siblings, and… I like yellow. Yellow and white. And black. No formal education.”

“Speaking of which.”

“What’s up?”

“Would you prefer if I called you that?”

She looked a bit taken aback by that question. Leaning on her right hand, she glanced around. Her face crinkled into a bit of a worried expression.

“... No. Not really. I… I like Twotone better.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m… trying to distance myself from that name.”

Seeing that this was making her uncomfortable, I looked for another topic.

“Uh… when’s your birthday?”

“December 19th.”

“Wh- That’s next week!”

“Yep. I’ll be 8. Yaaaaaay.” She waved her hands in mock excitement with the least excited face I’ve ever seen.

“You’re not looking forward to it?”

“Eh. It’s never really been a big deal to me.”

“Got any… present hints?”

“Oh, you don’t have to get me anything! … But, like, I wouldn’t turn down more hot chocolate.”

Her smile was half sly, half innocent-looking. Reminds me of my sister.

“That was my favorite when I was little too.”

“You’ve lived here a long time?”

“Yeah, since I was… I dunno, a little younger than you. 4 or 5, maybe.”

“And you came here a lot then too?”

“Yeah. It’s so nice here in the winter… Steamy windows, Christmas decorations, the smell of cinnamon and eggnog, the warm, coziness of it all…”

“That’s actually pretty poetic.”

“You think?”

“Yeah… the atmosphere in here is excellent. All around good vibes.”

“Glad you like it.”

  
  


On the way home, I asked a question that was bugging me more than it should’ve been.

“What’re you going to wish for for your birthday?”

Twotone stuck out her bottom lip and put her arms behind her head.

“I don’t really think voicing my concerns to the people controlling us in the master reality will make them care about what I want. Buuuut, if I had to wish for something…

  
  
  


I want you to live a long, healthy life. Whether or not I’m there with you is up to fate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7 year old has an existential crisis; more at 11  
> can you tell i ran out of all fucks to give as i wrote this? cause i did  
> and happy late-ass birthday TT i wish the idea to upload this to ao3 came before your bday cause i forgot it completely


End file.
